Local Tech Startup Growth On Right Path

(Memphis Daily) More than 500 Memphis business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and innovators gathered at the Orpheum Theatre in late August, but they weren’t there for the latest show from Broadway.

They convened to participate in Start Co. Demo Day, when 15 innovative startups from a variety of sectors unveiled their products.

Half of the teams came from outside Memphis to spend 100 days at Start Co. this summer launching their startups. Several have relocated to Memphis full-time, and a few are on track to raise investment capital.

It has been a long road to get to this juncture. While our early experiments in building technology startups began over eight years ago, since then the innovation landscape has improved dramatically thanks to the efforts of many in our community.

Notable milestones include the creation of a new venture fund (Innova), the creation of five accelerator programs (Seed Hatchery, ZeroTo510, Sparkgap, Upstart, and Sky High), the creation of angel funds and networks, the creation of Co-Work Memphis, and even civic change with the creation of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team.